The One
by TWISTEDART
Summary: A new ending to episode 16.1 Rated T. Dacey but of course. ONE SHOT


**The One**

Danny slammed on the breaks of his car right before it would have plunged over the cliff. It was the same cliff that his dad's body had been placed to fake an accident. Danny stared out into the darkness as he ran his hand through his long tendrils of hair. He sat there feeling numb and angry. He was angry at himself and Jo. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was being just like his dad.

Danny closed his eyes as he leaned his forehead against the leather of the steering wheel. His mind racing with every thing that happened tonight. Lacey had found out only after his blatant display of trying to throw money on his demons. His dad's words. Well, not his dad's but his dark nightmare of his dad. What had he done?

The worst part was that Lacey was willing to stick by him. She was willing to help him through this terrible tragedy. Lacey was going to allow his burden to be hers. Danny knew she'd be like that. But he didn't deserve that from her? No. He didn't even deserve her at all. He knew it. He had known it for a long time. He had a darkness that he had tried to keep at bay since returning to Green Grove. That darkness had slowly crept on him during his life in juvenile detention. Lacey was the one that made him want to hide that darkness. Yet,at every turn, Danny pushed her away from him. He ran to Jo. Why? Danny knew the reason even if Lacey didn't.

Jo wasn't complicated. He didn't love her the same way he loved Lacey. It was more of a convenient bond with Jo where Lacey was his romantic love. With Jo, he told her the words she wanted to hear and Jo would crumble into a love sick puppy. The only time he had not been able to tell Jo the words to make her follow after him like the mice after the Pied Piper was when she ask about his feelings for Lacey. Then Danny couldn't deny the truth. He merely nodded when asked if he still had feelings for Lacey. He knew Jo wanted to hear differently but he couldn't bring himself to deny that one fact. He had feelings for Lacey. Heck. He loved her. Danny knew that was undeniable. He had never spoken those words to Lacey or anyone else. But Danny knew the truth because his heart knew the truth. He was in love with Lacey Porter.

Danny turned the key in the ignition and backed away from the cliff. He drove towards no particular destination. His mind reeled with thoughts of loving Lacey and his ridiculous actions of tonight. He ran to Jo after Lacey said he had feelings for Jo. It has always been Jo she said. Danny's mind skipped from the truth to the darkness. The darkness won out as he made his way earlier that night to Jo's room. If the girl didn't want him around unless he was interested romantically, then he would have to act like he wanted her that way. _Stupid really_. But she was the only one to witness his killing of his father. Jo was the only one to be able to clear Danny if it came out. He needed to keep her on his side. He had lost the love of his life. But the love of his life had also planted an evil thought in his mind of how to manipulate his little soldier into following orders again. Jo was always so easy to follow orders. Just like when she was told to sit in the front of the sleigh in fourth grade. She obeyed like the loyal pet that she was.

However, Charlie McBride had played the game well too. He convinced Jo that Danny murdered Vikram and used her to do it. Danny smirked at the fact that Charlie had a very good teacher at how to manipulate people. Danny could almost pat himself on the back for changing the good Charlie McBride to the boy that was now making Jo Masterson his own. It really wasn't that hard. Danny was sure all it would take to get Jo giggling like an idiot school girl was to say something nice to her. Maybe brag on her looks. Jo was an easy target. She always was.

Danny wasn't sure what bothered him most. Was it the fact that Jo called him out on being like his dad? Or was it the fact that he didn't manipulate his little pawn like he always could? Probably the latter. He'd have to deal with that later. He would get Jo crawling back to him like the little push over she was. After all, this teacher wasn't about to let student to take over for the master. He thought he put Charlie in his place over a year ago. Maybe he'd have to reteach him the lesson. Charlie was his B**ch. And not in the sexual way but Danny made sure Charlie knew who dominated the friendship, who was dangerous, and who could make him cry if it made Danny survive. That was taught to Danny on a daily basis in that place. That H#ll hole that pitted boy against boy in order to survive. Danny was the top survivor. Starting out in a place like that at age eleven was definitely growing into the dominate persona. Danny was feared by the new guys. Some of the older ones took note too. Charlie wasn't a threat. His offense couldn't be too bad not like murder. Murder. It became something Danny actually had accepted that he was despite the fact, he was not. Killing his father wouldn't have bothered Danny so badly if he didn't want to kill him so badly.

Right now, Danny's heart was hurting so all the Jo nonsense would have to wait. There was one person in his life that Danny knew brought him from the darkness. Maybe he wanted to embrace the darkness now. Maybe Lacey's light was too bright for him. Lacey made him be a better person. Maybe he didn't want to be a better person right now. Maybe he wanted to hate himself. But hating himself was okay. Lacey hating him was not. That couldn't happen. NEVER could that happen.

Danny pulled out his cell phone. His addiction was only a cell phone call away. Maybe a text. But would Lacey even accept his phone call? Maybe he could just sneak in her room. He would have to pull down the road from her house. If Judy saw his car, she'd tell him it was late and he needed to go home. Yes, he'd have to sneak in like he used to when they touched and kissed each other senseless.

He pulled up to the curb then turned off his car. Danny saw her in the distance. She was walking into her house. She really did look beautiful tonight. Of course, Lacey always did look breathtakingly beautiful. But there was more to her than that to Danny. She was his breath of life that caused his demons to be calmed. How could he have thought money would do that when Lacey was the one that always did that for him?

Danny placed the bracelet in his jacket pocket. He wondered as he stepped out of the car if he could climb the gutter in his dress shoes. He'd have to give it a try. Lacey was worth it even if he fell to his death trying to get to her. His ascent was slower with the slickness of his shoes against the siding of Lacey's house. But he eventually got to her window. He halted his movements when he saw her slip off her red jacket. Danny's heart skipped more than one beat seeing her.

Danny finally gained his bearings at seeing the girl he loved in front of him. He slid open the window and stepped in. Lacey turned around startled by the sound of Danny coming in her window. Danny's heart broke at seeing her eyes showing the signs of her crying.

"Danny, what are you doing here?" Lacey's voice was angry but it still cracked with unshed tears.

"Lace..." Danny stepped forward. Lacey stepped back. "You forgot something." He held out the bracelet. "Please. It isn't about keeping you from asking questions. You know now. I just want you to have it."

"Please. Don't." Lacey's soft voice whispered out the hurt from her heart. She closed her eyes trying not to show her sadness to him. "I never wanted anything like that from you."

Danny dropped the bracelet onto the floor as he stepped forward again. The palm of his hand went to her cheek. She started to jerk away but when he whispered in a husky voice. "I keep having to tell you I'm sorry."

Lacey eyes opened to stare at Danny. She saw something she had not seen in years in his eyes. She saw tears. "Danny, I can't..."

"I know." Danny pulled her to him before she backed away from him again. He encircled his arms around Lacey's waist. "Please let me hold you."

Lacey melted in Danny's arms. Her own arms circled his waist as her head took it's place over his heart. Danny raked his hands up and down her back and through her hair. They held each other as tears silently poured from each other. Emotions both had hidden for so long were bombarding their hearts.

"I love you." Danny said the words he desperately needed for her to hear.

Lacey sobbed harder at his words. Dare she believe him. She wasn't sure. But she knew she wanted to.

Danny said it again. This time he added more to explain his actions. "I love you not her. Jo was there that night. It wasn't because I wanted to keep it from you and tell her. She was just there. Don't you see, Lace? Jo is always just there."

"I was your girlfriend." Lacey whispered trying to keep her crying from making her voice crack.

"You are my girlfriend, Lacey. If you let me have you back. Please. I was wrong. I'm always so wrong when it comes to you." Danny swallowed as he pulled her with him as he sat on the bed. Somehow he managed to get Lacey in his lap. "I don't know how to be with you. I am so afraid of who I am will make you realize that you want more than me. I have this dark side. A side that scares me. But you make me want to be better. Lacey, I need to be better. Help me."

"I love you too." Lacey knew Danny needed her. He had been through too much in his life. She loved him enough to put aside her anger and jealousy to be there for him.

Their lips met as the kiss made no more need for words. Their was a saltiness in their taste due to the earlier shedding of tears. Lacey's hands shook as she unbuttoned Danny's shirt. His phone buzzed. Both chuckled at the irony. Danny picked up his phone. He raised his eyebrow as he read the text.

Jo Masterson was the ID.

**We need to talk. IMPORTANT**

Lacey bit her lip as she read the text with Danny. "Do you need to go to her?"

"No." Danny tossed the phone after shutting it off. "I need to be with you."

Danny's lips sealed with Lacey's lips again. He pushed Lacey's body back onto her bed. Lacey felt him pushing her dress up her body. She stopped the kiss as she breathed out.

"I've never." She glanced down embarrassed. "We were always interrupted and I've never been with anyone."

Danny raked his hand over Lacey's cheek. "Obviously, I haven't either. They don't allow girls in juvie." Danny chuckled lightly. "Besides, I've been saving myself for someone special."

Again they kissed. Both teens timidly took off clothing so that bodies could feel skin to skin. Danny was nervous. He had not felt nervousness for a while. His charm had always made him feel confident. But this was Lacey, his everything, allowing him to be her first as she was his.

Their bodies joined. At first, Lacey felt the pain of Danny and her being in this newness of their relationship. However, the fact that they were in love, caused the pain to be ignored until it dissipated. Bodies entangled as the young couple made a covenant with their actions that promised a new beginning. They clung to each other in desperation of souls trying to reach for the light.

It wasn't long before bodies collided together in exhaustion. Danny rolled from Lacey as their panting drowned out the silence in the room. He pulled Lacey against him as they lay in each other's arms. Lacey made small circles on his chest as she played with a patch of hair.

"What about Jo?" Lacey asked already knowing the answer. But she needed for Danny to say it.

Danny smirked as he put his finger under Lacey's chin. He pulled her face so she could look in his eyes. Lacey always knew when Danny was telling the truth by his eyes.

"It has always been you, Lacey. You have always been the one. You will always be the one."


End file.
